(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrophotographic system having a solvent removing device and, more particularly, to a wet electrophotographic system using a liquid developer including toner particles dispersed in a solvent.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Wet electrophotographic systems using a liquid developer or a wet developing technique have been used for printers or facsimiles. Such a wet developing technique has an advantage of excellent image quality compared to a dry developing technique. The wet developing technique generally uses a solvent removing device for removing solvent from a toner image on a photoreceptor belt after development. The solvent removing device includes a solvent absorbing roller rotatably disposed in contact with the photoreceptor belt. The solvent absorbed by the solvent absorbing roller is further absorbed by a solvent evaporation roller in the solvent removing device for evaporation of the solvent.
In the conventional solvent removing device in the wet electrophotographic system as described above, there is a problem in that a small amount of toner forming the toner image on the photoreceptor belt is also supplied from the photoreceptor belt through the solvent absorbing roller to the solvent evaporation roller and attached thereto. The attached toner is then returned through the solvent absorbing roller to the photoreceptor belt to degrade the quality of the electrophotographic image after being synthesized with the toner image formed on the photoreceptor belt.
The conventional technique for removing the solvent from the solvent evaporation roller uses a brush cleaner provided on the surface of the solvent evaporation roller. However, the brush cleaner has a disadvantage in damaging the surface of the solvent evaporation roller, resulting in a reduction of the ability of the solvent evaporation roller for absorbing the solvent.